Utilization of the soybean sterols, sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol as an economic source of intermediates for steroid manufacture has been long considered for supplementing or supplanting the commercial processes from diosgenin, obtained from the Barbasco root and other sources (R. Wiechert, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 9, 321, 1970). Several microbiological processes are now available for the conversion of phytosterols or modified phytosterols (19-oxygenated) into useful androstane steroids. (See for example C. K. A. Martin, Adv. in Applied Microbiol., 22, 28, 1977).